Student Representation F.A.Q
Below are answers to common questions about student representation. If you want to have an even better insight, please read the handbook for student representatives.
What does student representation mean?
Student representation exists to give students a say in their own education. A student representative represents the students' views wherever decisions are made or prepared at the university that affect the students' education or situation.
Universities are governed by boards, committees and other decision-making and preparatory bodies. It is through these bodies that education is planned, evaluated and developed. There are seats on these bodies designated for student representatives.
What does a student representative do?
As a student representative, you participate in the group's work with the same rights as other members. This means attending meetings when you are invited and reading the documents in advance. It may also mean attending pre-meetings, where you will have the chance to prepare for the meeting. As a student representative, you are also part of a student representative council. This means that all student representatives at the union come together and discuss which issues they should jointly pursue to improve education. The councils are also advisory, and work to support and help you in your mission.
Support for student representatives
As a student representative, you will receive ongoing training and information from the union and the university on how best to carry out your duties, and you will have the opportunity to pursue issues and bring about change. The trainings are designed according to the needs and wishes of the student representatives. In addition, you will receive support from the other student representatives in the student representative council, from the union's paid and employed staff and from the university.
The difference between a full member and an alternate
Full members receive invitations and documents for meetings and may attend all meetings. Alternate members should generally only attend meetings if one of the full members is unable to attend, but this varies between groups. Ask what applies in your group once you have taken up your position. Only full members have voting rights, and alternates only have voting rights if a full member is absent and they attend in their place. The same may apply to remuneration.
Rights
Som student på Uppsala universitet har du rättigheter och skyldigheter. Mycket av din studiesituation på universitetet regleras av studenternas arbetsvillkor, bland annat att studentrepresentanter för att att kunna delta i sammanträden i universitetsorgan ges möjlighet när det är praktiskt möjligt och ekonomiskt genomförbart ges möjlighet til att genomgå obligatoriska kursmoment vid annat tillfälle eller att på annat godtagbart sätt ersätta dessa.
the handbook for student representatives
the handbook for Student Representatives* is designed to provide you as a student representative with ongoing support. the handbook takes you through different parts of the University and the union. It also has many good explanations of how meetings are usually run and a glossary of commonly used terms.
All student representatives receive a physical copy of the handbook when they attend the training for student representatives organised by the Faculty Coordinators, but it is always available digitally too.
Opinion programme
The statement describes what Uppsala Student Union stands for on various issues, for example Uppsala Student Union believes that students with disabilities should have opportunities for support in teaching. If you as a student representative need support on different issues, you can turn to the Opinion Programme for inspiration!
Training for student representatives
Som studentrepresentant får du en grundläggande utbildning om uppdraget som du innehar. Varje termin anordnar våra fakultetssamordnare flera utbildningstillfällen, där går ni igenom studenternas rättigheter, mötesformalia, stöd från kåren och mycket mer!
Vi bjuder även in till tematiska utbildningstillfällen under årets gång, där du som studentrepresentant får möjlighet till fortbildning inom specifika områden som är viktiga för ditt uppdrag. Har du frågor kan du kontakta våra fakultetssamordnare på fakultetssamordnare@uskar.se.
What is the Student Representative Council?
Student representative councils (STRÅ) are councils that meet to discuss educational issues and student influence in various forms. STRÅ is a forum for collaboration with the union and other student representatives, i.e. you update representatives from the union and other student representatives about what is happening in the body you are a student representative in and discuss how you as a student representative can influence. In this way, we can influence more and strengthen student influence by working together.
Our faculty coordinators
We have two faculty coordinators at Uppsala Student Union. They share the work between the faculties.

Works with quality assurance and monitoring of education at the University as well as training and coordination of student representatives. Responsible for the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine.

Arbetar med kvalitetssäkring och bevakning av utbildningen vid universitetet samt utbildning och samordning av studentrepresentanter. Ansvarar för Historisk-filosofiska fakulteten, Språkvetenskapliga fakulteten, Teologiska fakulteten och Fakulteten för Utbildningsvetenskaper. Kontakta mig gärna vid frågor rörande dessa områden.